Watch-case



(No Model.)

D. OHARAl WATCH CASE.

No. 353,961. A Patented Dec. 7, 1886.

UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL OHARA, QOF VALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

WATCH-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,961, dated December7, 1886. Application filed Apiil 27, 1885. Renewed April 9, 1886.`Serial No, 198,377. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, DANIEL OHARA, of W'altham, in the county ol"Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Vatch-Cases, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention in substance consists, first, in a watch-case forthemovement to be wound by the use of a key which is separate from thecase, and is applied to the winding-arbor of the movement through a holemade in a cap or plate covering the movement at one side of the case, ofa diskshaped cap or plate having a hole through it suitable for thepassage of the key and applied and attached to the watch-case to becapable of rotation thereoning the movement covered or closed; second, y

in a watch-case adapted for its movement to be wound by the use oi' akey which is separate from. the case, and is applied to thewinding-arbor of the movement through a hole made in a cap or platewhich covers the Inovement at such side, and is made in two thicknessesor parts each of a disk and round shape, and attached together andadapted the one to be secured to the watch-case and the other to `loerotated upon its part so attached to the case, and each provided with ahole passing through its thickness and suitable for the insertion of thewinding-key of the watch, and located in such relation to each otherthat by the rotation of the one part upon the other part of the cap saidholes can be placed in and out of line with each other-in line for thewinding of the movement and out of line for the covering of the key-holeof the inner part, and thus illustrate the several icaturesof this invention. n

Figureslandare each on an enlarged scale, and they are in part atransverse vertical section and in part an edge view of a watch-case,showing in Fig. l a hunting and in Fig. 2 an open-face watchcase, and inboth views a back cap or plate coveri ug that side ofthe movement,constructed of two separate thicknesses or parts, in accordance moreparticularly with the second part of this invention, as hereinbeforestated. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section at one side only of awatch-case, and in illustration of theconstruction of the watchcase atthe back with a cap or plate covering the movement at such side and witha loack cover, each provided with a hole for the insertion of awindingkey and adapted the outer cap to cover and uncover the key-holeof the inner cap, and covering the inner hole to close the holes of bothpractically against the entrance of dust or moisture, as willhere`inafter appear. Figs. 4 and 5 are face views ofthe back cap or plate inFig. 4, adjusted for the windingkey of the movement to be inserted, andin Fig. 5 closed to the insertion of the key. Figs. 6 and 7 aresectional views in detail illustrating the construction of the back capor plate, to be hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, A is the band or ring to contain the watch-movement. Bis the central shell or annulus or body. C is a front bezelring, and Fits crystal. G is the back cap or plate closing the case at its back,and H, Fig. 1, is the front cover, or cap, or plate, hinged as ordinary,and otherwise adapted to be opened and closed, as well known inhuntingcase watches.

y The movement band or ring A interiorly is adapted in any of the usualways, or in any other suitable Way, for receiving and securing thewatch-movement, (shown in edge view in the drawings.) the movementhaving a winding-arbor, a, at the back of the case. This ring Aexteriorly is surrounded by the central shell or body, B, preferablymade with a recess or' channel, J; but it may be solid, or nearly so,using an inferior or baser metalsuch as albata, nickel, brass, or othermaterial-for the inner and unexposed portions thereof, and for itsexposed sides or surfaces IOO silver, gold, or other precious metal, orother suitable material.

The central shell, on its inner edge, is made with a step or rest, b,which in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown as at the back and in Fig. 3 as at thefront side of, but in both instances as within, the shell, or, in otherwords, inside of its outer edge or periphery, and of one piece with theshell; or if not of one piece therewith, but of aseparate piece,thensaid separate piece attached to the shell by solder` or other suitablemeans, so as to be incapable of detachment-in t'act,so as to bepractically one piece with the rest of the shell. rlhis step b of thecentral shell makes a rest or support for the corresponding side (eitherback or front, as the case may be) of the movement-ring, preferablysuitably shaped to closely fit the same, and also either to project ornot with lip d, Fig. 2, through and to fit within opening, which is atthe same side of the shell. fis a screw, of which there may be one ormore, screwing through the thickness of the step b of the annulus, andentering into the movement-ring. These screws fasten the movement-ringand annulus together.

The movement-ring at its side (which may be either its back or front, asthe case may be) opposite to that resting upon and within the step b ofthe annulns has a riser, k, Figs. 2 and 3, which laps overA thecorresponding side of the annulus, and this riser is exteriorly adapted,Fig.- l, for a front cap or plate, H, to be snapped over it, in Fig. 2for the front bezel-rii1g,(),to be screwed upon it, and in Fig. 3 forthe back cover or plate, G, closing the watch-case at that side to bescrewed upon it, in such instance securing in place each part thusattached.

The movement-ring A, Fig. 1, has a riser, L, at its front and inside ofthe riser K, surrounded by the hinged front cap or plate, H, and thisriser L is adapted for the front bezelring, G, to be snapped over andthus secured toit.

d is a riser at the back and inside of riser M ot' central shell. Theback cap or plate,G, is screwed onto the riser M, and a back cap orplate, Q, directly covering the movement, is snapped upon the riser d.

The back cap or plate, Q, directly covering the back of the movement,Figs. l and 2 and Figs. G and 7, is made in two separate thicknesses orparts, as inner g, andan outer, g2, each of a suitable metal or othermateriaLand ot' adisk shape. The outer face, Figs. l and 2, of the innerthickness or part, g, has a recess or depression, 71 of a circularoutline, k, and of an inwardly-inclining hook shape at its said outlineor edge. Thisrecess,as shown in Fig. l, includes the whole of thesurf-accor' said l'aee inclosed by its outline or edge, and as shown inFig. 2 it is simply a groove.

The recess h of the inner part, g, of the back cap, Q, receives theouter part, g'l, which is suitably shaped to be snapped into and thusengaged with the hook-shaped outline or edge 7c of said recess h,confining it against accidental escape, and as so secured it is in closeproximity, even if not in direct contact, with the inner part, g, andsufficiently free to be rotated thereon and within the said contningedgek.

The two-part back cap or plate, Q, has a hole, P, through both of itsthicknesses or parts. This hole P in the inner part, g, is in line withand directly over the winding-arbor a ofthe watch-movement, but out ofline with the axial line of the watch-case, and in the outer part, gi,it is similarly situated, and the hole in both parts is ot' suitablediameter, that with the holes placed in line with each other, by therotation of the outer part upon its inner part, the winding-key can beinserted in them and engaged with .the winding-arbor a of the movementto turn the same to wind the movement.

The similar location of the holes in the twopart back cap or plate, Q,obviously enables them to be brought into and placed out of line witheach other by the simple rotation of the outer part, g2, upon the innerpart, g, and thus in the first instance opening their windinghole P tothe insertion of the winding-key for winding the watch-movement, and inthe second instance covering the hole of the inner part, g, by the outerpart, and thus tothe passage of dust and moisture into thewatch-movement.

The back cap or plate, Q, in two thicknesses or parts, joined togetheras described, may obviously have its parts joined inother waysas, forinstance, the outer part, g, may be secured to the inner by a pin, Z,Fig. 5, making the axis about which the outer part can be rotated; orthe outer part may be secured or turned upon the outer edge of the innerpart, as shown at m, Fig. 6, and atm?, Fig. 7. Again, in Fig. 7 theinner part has a recess, n, in and around its outer edge, n. to receivethe edge ofthe outer part when said part is screwed or turned onto theinner part sufficiently to escape from the edge and to enter into saidrecess of the inner part, in which it seats. and so seated is free to berotated and confined against escape; and, again, the outer and in nerparts ot' the two part back cap may have their bearing-surfaces, if theyare made adapted to bear upon or have contact with each other, reducedYto the minimum, taking care, for the best elfects,that the bearing shallbe sui'iiciently close to practically secure a closing of thecoinmunication along and between their contiguous faces against thepassageof dust and moist- `ure from the winding-hole Pot' the outer partto the winding-hole of the inner part, and the parts may be withoutdirect contact with or bearing upon each other, as above described, andthus simply by the covering of the hole of the inner part with the outerpart close conimunication, as aforesaid.

Again, Fig. 3, the back cover or plate, screwedto the riser K at theback ot' the annulus and closing the back of the case, may be IIO usedin place of the outer part, g, directly attached to the inner, g, of thetwo-part back cap or plate, Q. and if so used it should be provided witha winding key-hole, P, located eccentrically and similarly to thekey-hole in the inside back cap or plate, g, and adapted, as well assaid inside back cap, to have a more or less close proximity to orbearing upon each other, and suflicientl y so to secure the practicalclosing of communication between the contiguous surfaces for saidpassage of the dust or moisture to the movement through the key`` holesof the two parts when the outer of the two isvturned to place itskeyhole out of line with and to cover the key-hole of the inner part.

The construction of annulus or central shell herein described, and shownin the drawings, to receive and make a seat for the movementring, formsol' itself no part ofthe present invention.

Having th us described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. ln a watclrcase of otherwise suitable construction, a cap-platecovering one side thereof. in combination with a cap ot' disk shape,which covers said cap-plate, each provided with a key-hole and otherwiseadapted to be adjusted for the insertion of a key to wind thewatch-movement and for the closing of said holes, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specified.

2. In a watch-case, a cap or plate covering one side of the case andsuitably attached thereto, made in two parts or thicknesses, each havinga key-hole and adapted to be attached to each other and one to the case,substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. In a watch-case, a cap or plate covering one side of the case andsuitably attached thereto, madein two parts, g and g2, each having akey-hole, P, and adapted the one to be attached to the case, and to beattached together by snapping the one uponA the other, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specilied.

4. In a watch-case, a central shell or annulus adapted interiorly and atone side to make a seat for a movement ring or hand, which is adapted tocontain a watch-movement and to overlap the outside and at the sidethereof cpposite to that at which it is seated therein, and the twokattached together, in combination with a cap or plate covering one sideot' the case, and with a cap of disk shape, which covers said cap-plate,and each provided with a key-hole otherwise adapted to be adjusted forthe insertion of a key to wind the watch-movement and lor the closingol' said holes, substantially `as described, for the purpose specified.

5. ln a watch-case, a central shell or annulus adapted interiorly and atone side to make a seat for a movement ring or band, which is f one sideof the case and suitably attached l thereto, made in two parts orthicknesses, each having a key-hole, and adapted to be attached to eachother and one to the case, substantially as described, for the purposespecified.

6. In a watclrcase, a central shell or annulus having seat b within andat one side for the rest cfa movement ring or band, A, adapted tocontain a Watch-movement, and having a riser, K, overlapping the annulusat the outside and at the side thereof opposite to that at which it isseated therein, and the two attached together, in combination with a capor plate covering one side ofthe case and suitably attached thereto,made in two parts, g g2, and each having a keyhole, P, and adapted theone to be attached to the case and to be attached together bysnappingthe one upon the other, substantially as described, for the purposesspecied.

kIn testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

DANIEL. OHARA. Witnesses:

VisnS. BELLoWs, ALBERT W. BROWN.

